"Seeing Is Believing" by Mike + the Mechanics

Song#:  3872

Date:  04/22/1989

Debut:  90

Peak:  62

Weeks:  6

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  Mike Rutherford and his band earned their second gold selling album with Living Years. It got to #13 thanks to the #1 Pop/#1 AC/#5 Rock second single "The Living Years." For a follow up to that hit, this next track was issued out as the third single. The song would be able to make the Rock Top 20 at #18, but it had difficulty breaking through at Pop and stopped short of the halfway mark. Another track, "Nobody Knows," would get to a minor #41 at AC.

ReduxReview:  This chuggin' tune was a good follow up to the sentimental "The Living Years," but it just wasn't as memorable or pop radio ready as their previous hits. While the tune had some hooks, it was lacking a more definitive chorus. Unfortunately, there really wasn't any other single-worthy tune on the LP so this one was the best shot. I think it did as well as it could.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Rutherford would do double-duty in 1991. In the spring of that year, he would assemble a new album with the Mechanics titled Word of Mouth. While the LP would do well in the band's UK home (#11), it practically got nowhere in the US. The title track first single would only get to #30 Rock/#78 Pop while the track "Everybody Gets a Second Chance" would top out at #24 AC. That left the album stopping at #107. Rutherford would have better luck later in the fall of '91 when he rejoined Tony Banks and Phil Collins to record the Genesis album We Can't Dance. It would get to #4 and sell over four million copies thanks to five Pop Top 30 hits including the #7 "I Can't Dance." The album would be the last studio effort by Genesis to include Phil Collins. Rutherford would continue on with his Mechanics and while they wouldn't have further success in the US, they would do fairly well in the UK. The band would initially dissolve in 2007, but then a couple years later Rutherford would form a new version of Mike + the Mechanics featuring lead singer Andrew Roachford (aka Roachford of "Cuddly Toy" fame). As of this posting date, the new incarnation has recorded three albums. Two of them made the UK Top 10.

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